Posting the sane and insane news about the law and what otherwise strikes my fancy.
The opinions and commentary made by this author is solely his own. It does not reflect the opinion of any other individual or organization including the 83rd District Attorney's Office or Pecos, Brewster, Presidio or Jeff Davis Counties.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Planning forgery?

Forgery of building and/or planning permits; now that would be an interesting sort of crime.

I don't know how you'd hide it from being discovered at some point in time however.

Police probe 'cavalier' case of planning forgery

By Ruth Williams- Sydney Morning Herald

VICTORIA Police is investigating a rare and ''cavalier'' case of planning permit forgery linked to a housing development in Melbourne's west.

Building work on three new homes in Henry Street, St Albans, has been stalled since July when the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal issued a stop order. The order was granted at the request of Brimbank City Council, which says parts of the new homes will now have to be demolished or modified.

Describing the situation as ''among the most cavalier'' she had experienced, VCAT member Dalia Cook said people involved in the development had forged a planning permit and used it to convince a surveyor to grant a building permit for the site.

In her reasons for granting the stop order, she said it was clear no planning permit had been lawfully obtained. ''The development of the land and the actions by the respondents are entirely unacceptable and show no regard whatsoever for the system of planning and building approvals in Victoria,'' she said.